Board of Directors

Currently, 20 people in addition to our founders and honorary chairmen bring their hearts, minds and resources together around the table to preserve the best of Leelanau. They carry on the legacy of many who have come before them and accomplished great things. Board members serve a maximum of three 3-year terms, but may be reinstated to the board after being off it for one year. The group meets bi-monthly but members also serve on numerous committees that meet throughout the year. Board members are nominated by the Conservancy’s Governance Committee and then vetted and voted on by the entire board.

Board of Directors

Ed Ketterer and his wife, Linda, live at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, on Grand Traverse Bay. Ed holds BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and a JD degree from George Washington University. He practiced intellectual property law for over 30 years, heading the IP departments at Whirlpool Corporation […]

Karen credits childhood camping trips with the start of her lifelong love affair with the outdoors. A period of living in the U.P. and backpacking at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the Porcupine Mountains, and the Sylvania Tract reinforced that love and commitment to preserve wilderness. A chance trip to the Leelanau Peninsula in the 80s […]

David Edelstein and his wife, Jennie Berkson have a home near Leland. David attended Syracuse University and Baruch College. He retired from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics where he ran information technology, regulatory affairs, and several other staff functions. David serves on the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University and is a Board Member of Chicago-based i.c.stars. He is a member […]

Rich Hoover and his wife Beth purchased a home on Lake Michigan, seven miles north of Leland, in 1997. They became full time residents in 2002 when Rich retired from the Dow Corning Corporation. Having lived in Tokyo, Mexico City, New York, Miami and St. Louis, it was easy for them to appreciate the natural […]

Leslie and her husband, Walter, have been coming to the Leelanau Peninsula since 1980 and now call their residence in Leelanau “home.” For years before becoming residents, summers meant coming to Leelanau and introducing as many friends as possible to the delight of the region. Leslie attended Vassar College and received her MBA from Kellogg School […]

Ross, his wife Kerry and their two sons are full time Leland residents. Ross is a graduate of Colorado College and holds an MBA from the University of Michigan. He has 25+ years of investment, financing and operating experience in the commercial real estate industry and presently is a principal with Arcturus Group, a real […]

Christine’s love of nature began at an early age under the tutelage of a beloved aunt. Her journey continued through working with a community of dairy farmers and producers in Ohio and as a county Extension Agent in Rochester, New York. As a Board Member of the Michigan Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Christine was […]

Emil’s love of the outdoors was nurtured during his childhood years in Grand Haven. He hiked, camped, hunted and fished in the woods and along the shores of Lake Michigan. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the University of Detorit, and it was in Detroit that he began his career with the […]

Cammie Buehler grew up in Cincinnati, OH. A fifth generation summer kid in Omena, the carefree Leelanau days we’ve all experienced played a huge part in her formative years. Cammie attended Ohio University where she earned a BS in Outdoor Education/Adventure Recreation. Following college, she relocated to North Lake Tahoe where she rode her way […]

Gina and her husband, John, recently moved to Traverse City after living on Lake Michigan for nearly 20 years. Gina attended University of Detroit and received a degree in Interior Design from Harrington Institute of Design in Chicago. Gina and John started visiting friends in Leland in the 70’s. Finally buying a house on Lake Michigan […]

Bob Gilbert and his wife, Debbie, live on Good Harbor Bay. Bob has been coming to the region since he was two months old and he and Debbie have had a second home in Leelanau County since 1975. Huge fans of the Leelanau Conservancy’s work to preserve our landscape, they have been Sustainers for more […]

Steve and his wife, Deb, live in Mt. Pleasant. They have been visiting the peninsula since 1970 and are now fortunate to be able to spend much more time at their home in Leland. Steve attended Miami University before earning a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan. Steve is making a concerted and […]

Larry was raised on a fruit farm near Suttons Bay and graduated with a BA from Michigan State University. He returned to Leelanau to plant a vineyard and establish a winery. Today Larry and his business partner Stu Laing own a vineyard and winery in Bingham Township on property protected by a conservation easement held […]

Roger Newton and his wife, Coco, fell in love with the Leelanau Peninsula thirty-five years ago when they moved from San Diego to Ann Arbor to start their married and working life together as a biomedical research scientist and a nutritionist in both hospital and private practice. Three children later in 1990, they bought a […]

Sharon and her husband, Pat, live on the Crystal River in Glen Arbor, across from the Stockman Conservation Easement. Leelanau County became their permanent home in 2005 after 20 years of being part-time residents. In addition to serving on the Board, the Stewardship and Farmland Committees, Sharon serves as a Docent, one of the wonderful […]

Linda and her husband Max began vacationing in northwest Michigan over 30 years ago. They quickly fell in love with the natural beauty of Leelanau County, especially the lakes, vineyards, and farms. Whereas they are now retired and live in Traverse City, they still feel they are “on vacation” whenever they spend time here. Linda […]

Lianne is grateful to a longtime friend and fellow Sustainer for inviting her to Leelanau County for annual summer visits. It seemed natural to leave her career days behind in Indianapolis to move to Bingham Township in 2010. After extensive travel, she is grounded now in our beautiful county and contributing her time, expertise and […]

Raised on a small farm near Ada, Michigan, Amy Tennis holds an undergraduate business degree from Davenport University and a MBA from Grand Valley State University plus advanced certifications in benefits and human resources. Until recently, Amy served as Oryana Community Co-op board president. She was a director for eight years. Amy is the System […]

AB, Dartmouth College; MBA, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; Retired advertising agency and international marketing communications management executive; former chair of Wharton Alumni Association: past chair of Bucknell Business Advisory Board; previous member of board of directors of WTVS Public Television, American Association of Advertising Agencies (Central Region), Metropolitan Detroit Convention and […]

Warren Watkins grew up spending summers and off-season weekends in Leland. After graduating from U of M in business administration, Warren moved back to the Detroit area and entered the information-consulting field. He was a partner at Accenture where he worked for 26 years before retiring in 2003. During his working career, Warren was active […]

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